Editing Marcus Camby (section)

===New York Knicks (1998–2002)===
In 1998, Camby was traded to the [[1998–99 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]] in a draft-day deal for longtime Knick [[Charles Oakley]] and the draft rights of [[Sean Marks]]. Following the trade, Camby stated of Oakley: "No one can replace Oak. He was the heart and soul and team leader. I play different positions. I bring versatility. We'll take it one day at a time and focus on winning, that's what I'm about."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenblatt |first1=Richard |title=Camby can't wait to play for Knicks |url=https://umasshoops.com/history/alumni/marcus_camby/news/trade_to_knicks.htm |access-date=29 August 2023 |publisher=The Associated Press |date=June 26, 1998}}</ref>

For his first two seasons in New York, Camby backed up veteran All-Star [[center (basketball)|center]] [[Patrick Ewing]]. The Knicks struggled to establish on-court chemistry in the lockout-shorted [[1998–99 NBA season|1998–99 season]], finishing with a 27–23 record, which was just good enough to qualify for the 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference.<ref name="knicks99">{{cite web |title=1998-99 New York Knicks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/1999.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> In the [[1999 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]], Camby and teammate (and close friend) [[Latrell Sprewell]] began to assert themselves as the Knicks shocked the top-seeded [[1998–99 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] and swept the [[1998–99 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]] in the first two rounds, setting up a meeting with the rival [[1998–99 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] in the Eastern Conference Finals.<ref name="knicks99" /> After Ewing went down with a season-ending Achilles injury early in the series, Camby filled the void, averaging [[Double (basketball)|double-doubles]] in the last three games of the series to lead the Knicks to a six-game upset series win over the Pacers and into the [[1999 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bock |first1=Hal |title=Camby Lifts Knicks to the Finals |url=https://umasshoops.com/history/alumni/marcus_camby/news/conf_champs_06121999.htm |access-date=June 6, 2024 |date=June 12, 1999}}</ref> The Knicks became the first 8th-seeded team to make it to the NBA Finals, where they matched up with the [[1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]]. The Spurs defeated the Knicks in five games to win the 1999 Championship.<ref>{{cite web|author=Phil Taylor |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1016204/1/index.htm |title=Undersized and outmanned, the Knicks look to Marcus Camby |publisher=SI Vault |date=June 21, 1999 |access-date=December 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207082247/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1016204/1/index.htm |archive-date=December 7, 2008  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/playoffs/news/1999/06/26/knicks_wrapup |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718025517/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/playoffs/news/1999/06/26/knicks_wrapup |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 18, 2012 |title=Looking back, Knicks season better than anyone expected |publisher=CNN/SI |date=June 26, 1999 |access-date=December 29, 2010}}</ref>

In the [[1999–2000 NBA season|1999–00 season]] the Knicks with Ewing back at center bounced back and won 50 games thanks to the contributions of many of the veteran players, including the [[Sixth Man of the Year Award]]-type season from Camby.<ref name="BR00">{{cite web |title=1999-00 New York Knicks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2000.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> In the [[2000 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]], the Knicks defeated the [[1999–2000 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] in three games and [[1999–2000 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] in seven games in the first two rounds of the playoffs en route to making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.<ref name="BR00" /> There they faced the top seed in the East, the [[1999–2000 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]], and were defeated by them in six games.<ref name="BR00" />

During a game against the [[2000–01 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio Spurs]] on January 15, 2001, Camby took a roundhouse swing at Spurs' forward [[Danny Ferry]] after he was hit in the eye on a box-out. The punch missed Ferry because Knicks' head coach [[Jeff Van Gundy]] stepped in at the last second, resulting in his being head-butted by Camby. Van Gundy required 15 stitches to close a gash above his left eye. Camby, who ended up with scratches on his face from both incidents, was suspended for five games and fined $25,000. Ferry was suspended for one game and fined $7,500 for the initial foul.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=99935|title=Camby Suspended for Taking Swing at Ferry|work=ABC News|access-date=October 10, 2014}}</ref> Upon returning from the suspension, Camby began to play his best ball of the season in averaging 12 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocks a game;<ref name="camby01">{{cite web |title=Marcus Camby 2000-01 Game Log |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cambyma01/gamelog/2001 |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> however, it was not enough as the Knicks were defeated by the [[2000–01 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]] in five games in the first round of the [[2001 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]].<ref name="BR01">{{cite web |title=2000-01 New York Knicks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2001.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> Camby spent most of the 2001–02 season injured, and without him as an inside presence, the Knicks struggled with a 30–52 record and missed the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Berman|first=Marc|date=2002-02-26|title=OUT FOR SEASON : IT'S OFFICIAL: HIP TEAR SHELVES CAMBY|url=https://nypost.com/2002/02/26/out-for-season-its-official-hip-tear-shelves-camby/|access-date=2021-03-03|website=New York Post|language=en-US}}</ref> Camby, after getting traded to Denver, accused the Knicks training staff of misdiagnosing his injury and causing him to miss more games than he should have.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news|last=Broussard|first=Chris|date=2002-10-11|title=PRO BASKETBALL; Camby Accuses Knicks of Mistreating His Injury (Published 2002)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/sports/pro-basketball-camby-accuses-knicks-of-mistreating-his-injury.html|access-date=2021-03-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Nuggets however, sided with the Knicks.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>